What Happens on Destiny Island
by BLUEanimeGIRL025
Summary: title is supposed to be "What Happens on Destiny Island, Stays on Detiny Island" but it was too long for me to type in. -sigh- This story is YAOI riku/sora and takes place AFTER KH2. Find out what happens to the characters once the adventure is over.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer:**__ I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or Sora, or Riku, or any of the other characters used._

_**A/N: **__Sorry to all my fans waiting on another chapter from the Naruto stories. __I just needed to get away from them for a little while, and I've been thinking about a lot of Kingdom Hearts yaoi lately._

* * *

Riku and Sora had missed a whole year of school, and half of another, while they were gone away. They were both given the option to return to 9th grade, while Kairi had already graduated 10th and was started on her 11th. Anyway, it didn't matter to Sora. The island only had one school for all twelve grades, so it's not like he wouldn't be seeing Kairi and the others all the time anyway. Besides, they had never advenced any farther than 9th grade, so nothing lost, nothing gained. Sora agreed to the terms, but Riku being Riku, felt that the two of them were much too old for 9th grade, and simply dropped out. "What do we need school for anyway?" he would ask. Kairi would laugh whenever she saw Sora at school, and would ruffle his hair, calling him her little 9th grade boyfriend.

That was another development that had taken place after the group's little adventure; Kairi and Sora had _finally_ gotten together. However, now that all was said and done, Sora learned that being her "boyfriend" wasn't all it had been cracked up to be. He had learned that first kisses weren't _that_ special, and holding hands..ff. well, Kairi liked to giggle and act foolish whenever he held her hand, so Sora wasn't really into it so much. On top of that, Kairi's little friend Selphie would squeal and push them together a lot, often leading to awkward stages where neither he or Kairi knew quite what to say or do. Then, there were Sora's friends Tidus and Wakka, who would wink and smirk whenever seeing he and Kairi together, and usually elbow him in the ribs a couple times if they were close enough.

On the whole, it was really quite annoying.

Riku didn't bother him about it; at least that was _one_ good thing.

Also, apparently Tidus and Selphie were now a couple, and had already taken things to "the next level" - whatever that meant. Sora had learned that "taking things to the next level" could mean basically anything - from watching the stars together at night, to inappropriate touching, to skipping school to spend an uninterrupted day alone with one another. Sora, though, had an idea of his own of what "next level" Kairi had in mind. Lately Selphie had been brining up the legend of the paopu fruit a lot, and Kari's eyes would light up every time it was mentioned. He feared that she would ask him to try it with her soon - and having his destiny bound with hers was not a very appealing notion at this point.

Needless to say, Sora spent much of his time with Riku. He kind of felt bad for his best friend - the guy had to sit around and listen to him complain about Kairi all the time. But Riku would just laugh and say, "You should have just dropped out, like I did."

The new hang out spot for them was behind the island, where they used to race oh so long ago, back when they had only dreamed of seeing other worlds. The secret place, it turned out, was not-so-secret anymore. Many couples snuck away there to make out, and other things. One day Sora had actually walked in on a few girls smoking paopu leaves in there. Kairi had dragged Sora along with her there a few times. Every time, they always found another couple already there, and she would always kick up a fit, insisting that the couple was invading his and her "special" spot. She claimed that the secret place was theirs, that it had always been theirs, and that she didn't like other people messing around in it. She frowned upon the graffiti spray painted over the picture they had chalked of each other on the cave wall.

"If Kairi's giving you so much trouble, why don't you just break up with her?" Riku suggested one day after another bout of complaining from Sora. He looked over, grinning, and winked. "Y'know I'd gladly be the shoulder for her to cry on. If you broke up with her now, she'd just be _devastated_-"

"Which is exactly why I can't do it," Sora interrupted, but Riku continued anyway.

"-and of course she would need somebody there to comfort her."

Sora snorted. " 'Comfort,'" he quoted. "You just want a piece of ass."

Rikku laughed. "Chill out, Sora. Relax. It's not a big deal, it's just teenage romance. If she's getting on your nerves, dump her, and she'll find someone else."

"_Someone else" meaning you,_ Sora thought darkly.

"And no, I don't mean _me_, if that's what you're thinking." Sometimes it seemed like Riku could read Sora's mind. It was scary. "I'm not really into her anymore, to tell you the truth."

"Really?" Sora asked. He made his voice sound bored and sarcastic, but honestly he was curious. Riku had had google eyes for Kairi only ever since the girl had appeared on the island. The fact that he didn't like her anymore was _big _news, and would be even bigger news if Riku had found new interest in somebody else.

"Yeah. Really." Riku grinned over at him once, and then stared out into the ocean. "Let's just say I've got more interesting things on my mind lately."

"Like what?"

Riku didn't answer. "Hey, I've got an idea. You're sick of dealing with Kairi, and her friends, and your friends, and I've been bored as hell being the only real dropout around here. Why don't you skip school tomorrow?"

"Me?" Sora asked. "Skip school? You've got to be kidding."

Riku laughed at that. "I know, right? Sora - little Mr. Innocence. You never do anything you think might get you into trouble." He punched Sora lightly on the shoulder. "Learn to take some risks every once in a while."

Sora scrambled around in his brain for something - some kind of excuse to put him off. "But... what if I get caught?"

"You won't. You know the adults don't like to leave the main island. We'd just stay out here all day."

"But..."

"You've got a perfect record, I think you can afford just one day of unexcused absence."

"What will I say when they ask me why I wasn't there?" Sora continued to protest.

Riku shrugged. "Tell 'em you were sick."

"What about my mom?"

"Tell her the same thing. That you got halfway to school and didn't feel well, so you just didn't go."

"But I felt well enough to come out here instead...?"

"You felt a little better later on in the day, and I dragged you out here." He snapped his fingers. "It's just that easy."

And by the look on Riku's face, Sora knew he just wasn't getting out of this one.

* * *

Riku had been getting Sora into trouble ever since they were little kids - ever since they had become best friends. Riku would always come up with some harebrained idea, and Sora would always get dragged into it one way or another. You'll remember that Riku was the one who had put them into action when he had wanted to leave this world. He was the one who had convinced them to build the raft. He had made all the plans.

It wasn't such an unusual thing for Riku to randomly come up with some new, wild scheme. And as much as Sora hated being scolded all the time by the adults of the island, and how embarrassed he was every time he was dragged home to his mother by a neighbor or teacher with more bad news, he had to admit that at least he always had fun with Riku. Riku was what made life on the island interesting. See, he and Sora sort of balanced each other out. Sora would always try to keep Riku in line, while Riku would try his hardest to get Sora as far away from the line as possible.

And so, on one cool autumn day, that was how Sora found himself ditching school to hang out with Riku on the little island where they had always played. As children they had spent more time on this island than they had at home. Their mothers would shake their heads as the two of them begged to go out and play on the island just _one more time_ each night after supper.

On this day, the two of them found themselves just sitting around, bored. Then Sora suggested they explore the island, since they hadn't done so since before leaving for other worlds all that time ago. Perhaps some of the landscape had changed, and there were new secrets on the island to be found. Riku thought it was a dumb idea, but eventually agreed, seeing as there wasn't anything better to do.

They found themselves in the secret place. It smelled strongly of weed in there, as if someone had been there smoking in the hours before school, and spray paint now covered every wall where Sora, Riku, and Kairi used to draw. "There it is," Riku said with a sigh. "The door to this world."

"Doesn't really look so impressive, does it?" Sora asked, his nose scrunched because of the stench. "Wonder if anyone else on the island besides us and Kari actually know what it is."

"Doubt it," Riku said, as he picked up something off the floor. It was a tiny plastic bag. He snorted and threw it away. "Paopu leaves."

"You know, you seem like the kind of person who would smoke that stuff, Riku. After all, you _are_ the only school dropout on the island."

But Riku made a face. "No way," he replied. "You couldn't pay me to smoke that stuff. It messes with your head. I may be a dropout but I'm not stupid."

Sora nodded in mock approval. "Well spoken," he said in a playful, deep sort of tone.

"Hey. 'Friends don't let friends do drugs,' remember?"

Sora had to laugh at that.

He and Riku found themselves out on the beach again, at the place where they had used to spar. Riku stood up on the old bent tree branch and grabbed a paopu fruit from one of the branches. He laughed suddenly and threw it at Sora. On impulse, Sora caught it. "So has Kairi asked you about it yet?"

"Not yet." Sora frowned at the fruit in his hands as if it were the source of all his troubles.

Riku jumped down from the tree. "I may have found a solution to your little paopu problem."

Sora would take any help he could get, so he jumped at the prospect. "Really? What?"

Riku grinned. "Just eat it with me," he said, pointing proudly at himself.

Sora felt his jaw drop. "Wha-?"

"Well think about it. We're best friends, so our destinies are entwined anyway. It's just a fruit like any other, so all we'd have to do is eat it. No big deal. Then you can go tell Kairi that it's too late, and you've already shared one with someone else." He laughed. "Aren't I a genius?"

After a moment, Sora laughed too. "You're so weird Riku. You come up with the craziest ideas."

"And don't they usually work?"

"Hm..." Sora thought back on all the messes they had gotten into in the past because of another one of Riku's crazy ideas. "No," he answered.

"Well, okay you have a point. But how do you know this one won't work?"

Sora thought about it for a moment. Finally, he sighed, and broke the paopu in half, throwing one of the pieces at Riku. "I just know I'm going to regret this." But they grinned at each other as they ate the fruit.

Paopu fruits were very sweet, and very sticky. Sora used to eat them all the time by himself. Different people had different reactions to the taste of the paopu fruit - either they loved it or they hated it. Which was why Sora hadn't understood why Kairi would want to share one with him - she was one of those people that hated the paopu.

"And done," Riku announced, licking his fingers. "See, that wasn't so hard." Looking over at Sora, he laughed. "You've got it all over you."

Sora sighed, trying to wipe some of the fruit juice off his face. "I don't get how _you _didn't get it all over _you_." He scowled at the sticky substance that just refused to come off.

Riku laughed again and walked over to him. "At least let me help you." Playfully, he licked his thumb and wiped it across Sora's cheek before the other boy could stop him. "Ewww. Riku, don't do that!"

"Oh just shut up," he said with a smile.

But then suddenly, Riku wasn't smiling anymore. Something had changed in his blue eyes, as his thumb moved its way slowly across Sora's chin. There was a certain need in him like Sora had never seen before, and Sora had seen Riku at his worst.

That was strange. For a moment Sora's heart had beat irregularly.

"Uhh..." he started, but for some reason he couldn't really think of anything to say. "Maybe I should just go wash off in the ocean."

Riku removed his hand, but the serious expression on his face didn't change. "Yeah. Maybe."

So, they went down to the beach together. Riku stood at Sora's side as the boy bent over to put his hands into the water. Riku still wasn't smiling. "Is something wrong Riku?" Sora asked as he used his wetted fingers to clean his chin and cheeks.

But Riku didn't answer. He looked down to see Sora staring up at him with large blue eyes, and couldn't help but crack a smile. "You're such a dope."

Sora frowned at that. "Hey. There's no need for name calling."

Riku was looking out across the beach now. When Sora stood, his face as clean as it was going to get, Riku grinned at him. "We should race. For old times sake."

Sora grinned back. "You're on. But where's the finish line?"

"Hm... The dock."

"Alright."

"Go!"

And they ran. Just like old times. And it was easy to forget things when you ran like that. Riku and Sora smiled and laughed as they headed toward the wooden dock. If Sora were in the mood for remembering, he would remember that he and Kairi had once sat at that dock together, looking forward to leaving the island.

Sora was in the lead, and that was odd, because usually Riku was the one who won the races. Riku was fast. He had more muscle in his legs than Sora did.

But at this moment, Sora didn't care. He was winning, and that was all that mattered.

He was right upon the dock, holding his breath. He was going to be the winner! Yes! Finally! He was already imagining jumping up and down, waving his big fat victory in Riku's face. It was a little thing, but it was also something that would make Sora very happy to achieve.

"Oh no you don't!" Riku called with a grin, and he tackled Sora.

Together they tumbled onto the dock. Somehow Riku had landed on top of Sora's back. "Aw, man!" Sora complained, his face pressed to the wooden planks. "Riku, you ruined it. I was finally going to win."

Sora rolled over as Riku lifted up.

And just like that they were caught up in another one of those moments. Sora, on his back, and Riku leaning over him, his hands at either side of Sora's body on the dock. Riku's eyes changed to seriousness again. They were both out of breath. They stayed like that for quite some time. They stayed like that until Sora lost count of the minutes.

Sweating, and with sad, needing eyes, Riku leaned in closer, and Sora's heart began to pound. What the heck did Riku think he was doing?! Was he actually going to _kiss_ him?! This was _so_ not right, this wasn't right _at all_... Shouldn't Sora stop him? Shouldn't Sora say something before their lips met? Somehow he was sure that he only had to speak the word, and Riku would back off.

But Sora's subconscious wanted to know what was going to happen next.

Sora said not a word, and suddenly he and Riku were kissing. Well, not really... not at first. Riku's lips were moving against his, and Sora was staring wide eyed up at the sky, unable to think or move. But in the blink of an eye he had his arms wrapped around Riku's neck, and they were kissing more passionately than he and Kairi ever had.

They rolled around a few times. Sweating, breathing heavily... Sora had never been more aroused in his life. And he couldn't think. His brain wouldn't function. His thoughts, his soul... he was completely filled with Riku. Riku, Riku, Riku, Riku! Something inside just wanted to burst. He just wanted to scream out, and he didn't know why.

And Riku kept kissing him. Oh god, but each kiss felt like fire. Every place that Riku's lips touched burned in an intoxicating kind of way. Why had Sora never felt this kind of thing whenever he was with Kairi?

He couldn't stop himself from kissing back, from moving himself against Riku's body, pressing against him as hard as he could. He wanted more... so much more.

And then something changed in the air, and it was over. Riku was leaning above Sora again, his eyes hungry and burning into Sora's soul. "School will be over soon. People are going to start coming to the island."

Sora's eyes widened, imagining what people would think seeing him and Riku rolling around with each other on the dock, going at it like two wild animals. He blushed deeply - maybe he had used too vivid a choice of words at that.

Sora couldn't find his voice to speak, nor the words to say, and Riku stayed just as silent. One of them had to say something sometime, but for now the most they could do was stare into one another's faces. Sora didn't know that Riku just wanted to collapse in his arms, that the boy would have given anything to just stay right where he was for the rest of forever. _How long-?_ Sora wondered. _How long has Riku felt this way about me, and not said a word?_ He wanted to ask, but couldn't bring himself to do it.

And it was another one of those moments where it seemed Riku could read his mind. "I've... wanted to do that for a very long time," the boy admitted. Riku, still being Riku, wasn't cutesy enough to use the word "love" just yet. At least, not out loud.

"How long is a very long time?" Sora asked.

And Riku actually had to think for a moment. When _had_ he decided to chose Sora over Kairi? Maybe... maybe it had started when Kairi first showed up on the island. Oh, he had liked the girl, sure enough, but he'd also been jealous by her closeness to Sora. Before then, Sora had been _his_ friend, and his alone. He told Sora as much. "That jealousy is what first turned me to darkness, I think. Then after you and I got separated, when the island was taken... and then you just kept making new friends, and it seemed like you didn't need me..." He sighed and finally sat up, letting Sora up as well. "Things just kept getting worse. It took me a while to realize what it was. I thought I was in love with Kairi, but the whole time, I guess I was really..." he trailed off. _You were in love with me,_ Sora thought, and suddenly he saw his friend in a new light. Riku was so different from him. Sora had always thought that it had been the other way around - that _he_ had been the one jealous of _Riku._ After all, Riku had everything. He had the looks, and the skills. Sora had never doubted for one moment that he wouldn't lose Kairi to Riku - that's the way it had always been.

But what now? Where could they possibly go from here? Did Sora... love Riku back? Could he consider a possibility like that?

Much of Sora's life had been changed in the single instant when his and Riku's lips had touched. And though Sora couldn't say for sure what his feelings were in that moment, he did know a few things. He knew that Riku was his best friend, and also that he had kissed Riku back. He hadn't _had_ to do it, but he had.

And he had liked it.

Sora's heart was still beating erratically. Suddenly, Riku laughed, and Sora focused on the other boy's face. "You look like your head's gonna explode." Riku reached out and ruffled his hair - not in the quick, hair-pulling way like Kairi did it. "Don't think too much about it. I'm sorry I... well, I'm just sorry."

Sora just had one question for now. "Were you planning this when you asked me to skip school and spend the day with you?"

"...I think I was hoping for it."

Sora could see in the distance more boats coming on, ready to pull in at the dock. "Riku, I-"

"Don't, Sora. You don't have to pretend anything for me. She may get on your nerves now, but I think you and Kairi are meant for each other. I should stop trying to convince you to break up with her." He stood up, looking out at the boats. "I think I'm going to go home now."

And so Sora stood and watched as Riku got in his boat, and headed back for the main island. Kairi was the first one to pull in at the dock. It wasn't so much surprising as it was annoying. "Oh, Sora!" she cried, a bit overdramatically he thought. "Why weren't you at school today? Were you sick?"

"Sick," he said blankly. "Yeah."

"What's the matter? Do you still feel bad?" She rushed over to throw her arms around him, but as soon as they touched, he pushed her away. She gasped as if he had just done a horrible thing. "Sora," she said, hurt in her eyes. And Sora remembered a time when he had been in love with Kairi, but the hurt in her eyes was nothing compared to Riku's.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Kingdom Hearts_

* * *

Sora couldn't find Riku the next day. Though Riku usually liked to sleep in, Sora had made him start getting up in the morning so that they could chat a bit before Sora headed off for school. This day was different though. Riku was nowhere in sight, and there was no time for Sora to leave the main island to check for him. Maybe Riku just felt weird about what had happened the day before, Sora thought as he began his way to school. Or maybe he had just wanted to sleep in that day.

Sora hoped that Riku knew this wouldn't affect their friendship. Well, it might change a few things, but Sora would make damn sure that it wouldn't put a wedge between them. He stopped suddenly, realizing then that this whole situation had _already _been putting a wedge between the two of them.

Sora felt horrible all over again.

He just wanted to be left alone that day, and seriously thought about ditching school again, but considering that his mother hadn't really believed his pathetic alibi about being sick the day before, he knew he could never pull it off twice in one week. Well, thank god it was Thursday. Just one more day of school that week, and then he would be free to work things out with Riku.

Kairi still acted hurt from him pushing her away the day before, but Sora didn't really think much of it. He had too much else on his mind to concentrate on Kairi at the moment. Everyone kept looking at him funny though, and Wakka and Tidus asked him why he was "being so harsh to Kairi." Sora shrugged it off, not really knowing how to answer their questions. How was he being harsh to Kairi? It's not like he did something major to her. Then at lunch, Selphie came up to him and made it very clear that she was mad at him for making Kairi sad. So Sora was a little irritated by the end of the day.

In last period, when Kairi tried talking to him with that sad look on her face and tears in her eyes, Sora felt something near disgusted. He just couldn't understand why everyone was making such a big deal out of something so small. He refused to talk to her, and she excused herself to go to the bathroom, bursting into tears half way out the door.

Once school let out, Sora didn't even bother going home first. He went straight to the island. He spent an hour or two searching in all the familiar places, but Riku was nowhere to be found. Sora saw plenty of his other schoolmates on the island while he searched. None of them bothered him unless he asked them a direct question, but whenever he asked they claimed that none of them had seen Riku either.

So Sora went home, and worried.

The next day was basically the same routine, except Sora felt even worse than he had the day before. He was concerned about Riku, mostly. He wanted to know where the boy was, and why he was hiding from him. Riku had to know that Sora was fine with him being exactly the way he was, flaws and all. If only he could see him to tell him that.

Also, Sora felt the need to talk to Kairi. He had gotten this crazy idea in the middle of the night that if he just told her about the whole situation, she would be okay with it. But when she came up to him that day at school, with a strange expression on her face, Sora swallowed everything he had been about to say and kept it to himself.

This day, though still distracted, Sora was a bit more aware of the things going on around him, and he wondered what he should do about Kairi. She looked so sad. She had probably mistaken all his troubled thinking the day before, believing that he was ignoring her. So when she approached him, he took her hand in his and a small spark instantly lit up her eyes. In that moment he thought she was going to start crying again, or go crazy and jump on him or something, so he kind of already regretted wanting to make peace with her.

But Kairi did neither of those things. She stayed silent as they walked to class together, and didn't bother him once the whole day until third period. She tugged on his sleeve to get his attention. "Sora," she said.

"Yeah?" He had to keep his voice quiet so that the teacher wouldn't hear.

"I'm sorry if I've been getting on your verves lately."

"What?"

"I know things have been weird lately." She paused. "I don't mean to be clingy, and it's not my fault that our friends like to bother us about being together. I don't want you to be mad at me." She looked him in the eye. "Sora I don't think I've ever told you this, but I love you."

Guilt washed over him. What was he doing? God, this was so screwed up. The two most important people in his life were both in love with him, and at that moment, as he looked in Kairi's eyes, Sora knew that he was going to end up hurting one or the other, whether he wanted to or not. Here Kairi was confessing her love to him, and just yesterday he had been out on the dock of Destiny Island, making out with Riku.

"I love you too," he told her, looking down at his desk. He thought about what Riku had said. "_She may get on your nerves now, but I think you and Kairi are meant for each other."_

"Do you really?" Kairi asked.

"Yeah."

She smiled at him, and that was the end of that.

Now, Sora just had to resolve matters with Riku.

* * *

The weekend was lonely without Riku. Sora looked everywhere he knew the boy liked to go, and everywhere the two of them had hung out together. He looked _everywhere_, and had others help him - told his classmates and friends and even a few people he didn't know to help look out for him, to tell him if any of them caught a glimpse of him. So far, no word. Sora even went over to Riku's old house, where his mother and father still lived, though he knew that Riku had moved out long ago. Upon returning to Destiny Island and dropping out of school, Riku had decided that he might as well go the whole nine yards and start living on his own. The boy owned a small house out on the beach, but Sora had gone there too many times already, and it appeared abandoned. Riku's parents hadn't seen him in a while either.

Sora continued going to the island after school every day the next week, but still no sign of Riku. He was beginning to worry that he may never see his friend again. Things with Kairi had gone back to the way they had been before - she always wanted to talk to him, hug him, hold his hand and ruffle his hair. She made him carry her things around in the hallways, wanted to make out with him at the most unusual of times, and of course, their friends always had something to say about it. Wakka and Tidus were glad that the two of them had "patched things up," but Selphie still didn't trust Sora.

Sora told no one about what had happened between he and Riku, though Kairi kept asking what was up between the two of them. Sora told her he didn't know and left it at that. "Are you two fighting?" she pressed.

"I told you, I don't know."

"How can you not know?" He sighed, but didn't answer. "You and Riku have _always_ been friends," she continued. "Sora, please tell me what's going on. I'm Riku's friend too, you know. Do you have any idea why he disappeared?"

"He's avoiding me," Sora said after a reluctant minute.

"Why?"

Sora never answered her question, but he didn't go to the island that day after school. He knew that Riku wouldn't be there.

* * *

News of Riku finally came a few weeks afterward. A friend from school ran up to Sora in the hallway one morning. "There you are!" he exclaimed. "Jeez, I've been lookin' all over for you."

"How come?" Sora asked, perplexed. Kairi, of course, was standing at his side, holding onto his arm as if she thought he was going to run off.

"I saw Rikku yesterday, on the island. You've been looking for him haven't you?"

"Riku was on the island?!" Sora asked in shock.

"Yeah, and he was wearing some funny looking clothes. At first I didn't even think it was him. He was wearing this black cloak with the hood up, standing out on the dock. Pretty much everyone was staring at him, but I was the only one brave enough to go ask who he was."

"A black cloak..." Sora said, trailing off. "What does that mean? Has Riku turned back to the darkness?"

"I told him you were looking for him, and he said he could never see you again - whatever that's supposed to mean. Then... something really weird happened."

"What?"

"He went to the secret place. After a minute, I followed him in. And you know that door that appears on the cave wall sometimes? The one that nobody can get open? Well, when I went in, the door was there but Riku had disappeared. I guess he left through it, maybe he finally found some way to open it."

"So that's why I haven't been able to find him all this time!" Sora exclaimed. "Thanks for telling me. Really, really thanks."

"No problem."

After the guy was gone, Sora turned to Kairi and said, "Riku's been traveling to other worlds! It finally makes sense."

"Does that mean that we're going to have to go find him?" Kairi asked.

"Leave home again? Are you kidding me? He's bound to come back again, and when he does, I'll definitely talk to him."

They started to walk to class, and Kairi was silent. "Hey... Sora," she said when they got there.

"Yeah?"

"Did something happen between you and Riku?"

And for one chilling instant, Sora was afraid that Kairi had guessed what had happened - that she had found out somehow. "Like what?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

"I don't know. Just... something."

Unable to answer her, Sora just shook his head. "Don't be silly." But he couldn't keep himself from adding, "Why do you ask?"

"Well, it's just that, he was avoiding you the last time he turned to darkness, remember?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, it's pretty obvious that the reason Riku is acting this way is because of you. So, something must have happened." They were in there classroom now, and Kairi was staring at him as he sat down. "Sora?" she asked timidly.

"Nothing happened that I know of," he replied. "Look, how about after school you help me look for Riku? If he sees me, he might just run off, but if he sees you, maybe you can help me get close enough to talk to him."

"Oh I get it," she said with a little grin. "Of course I'll help you, Sora."

So Sora found himself out on Destiny Island again, except now he was there with Kairi. He hadn't been to the island in a while - without Riku around, there had really been no point. "Where should we start?" Kairi asked. They were standing on the deck, and Sora couldn't help but think of the last day he had spent with Riku there.

Sora scratched his head. "Maybe the secret place? That's where the door to this world is, after all."

"Um..." Kairi paused, looking as if she wanted to say something. "But what if he _is_ there, and he sees you? Won't he just run away?"

"Hmmm. You're right. And we don't have a gummy ship so we can't leave." He sighed heavily, but then an idea came to him. "But wait, then how has Riku been getting around?"

They thought for a minute. "He _must_ have turned back to darkness," Kairi concluded. "That's the only way I can think of. Anyway, maybe I should look around the island on my own. That way, if he's here, maybe Riku won't run off so quickly."

"But what am I supposed to do?"

"Go back to the main island and look for him there. You never know, maybe he finally went back home."

Sora slumped his shoulders. "Doubtful."

* * *

Sora eventually agreed to do as Kairi suggested and went back to the main island, though he found Riku's house on the beach as abandoned as it had been the last time he'd searched there. At sunset, he and Kairi met back up on the deck of Destiny Island, as they had agreed, but it felt weird to be standing there alone with her. "Well, he never showed up," Kairi said with a sigh.

"Yeah, and he wasn't on the main island either."

For a moment, they were silent, standing there listening to the waves lap up against the beach, and the quiet voices of the others on the island. "Hey Sora," Kairi said after a minute, and she walked to the edge of the deck, staring out into the sunset. Sora noticed how beautiful she was, and for a minute his heart was full with the old love he had once felt for Kairi, but also with regret, because he knew he could never love her like that again. "I've been thinking," she continued. "Would you share a paopu fruit with me?" She pulled a small one from her pocket and turned to hold it out to him.

Staring down at the thing, Sora felt a strong wave of emotion wash over him. Before that moment, it had never hit him that hard. He missed his friend _so much_. Right then, he would have done anything, anything to have Riku back. He would have even turned to darkness himself, just to be able to get to his friend, just to talk to him, to laugh with him and know that everything would be okay. And all he could think about was that day, when they had shared the paopu. _"Just eat it with me_," Riku had said with a grin. _"Think about it. We're best friends, so our destinies are entwined anyway. Then you can go tell Kairi that it's too late, and you've already shared one with someone else. Aren't I a genius?"_

"Sora?" Kairi asked. Her voice pushed the thoughts of Riku out of his mind, and shoved him back to reality. He shook his head, eyes closed, trying not to cry. He felt like such a baby. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Sora replied automatically. "I thought you hated poapu."

"Well... usually I do. But... I don't know. I just want to share one with you."

He hesitated. Then, "No."

"What?" Kairi demanded quietly.

Sora hopped down from the deck, and saw for the first time that many people on the beach were staring at them, and at the paopu in Kairi's hand. Selphie was there too, and she didn't look happy. With an annoyed little snort, Sora turned to walk around the deck and get to his boat. "Sora, don't leave!" Kairi exclaimed. "At least tell me why."

"You're too late," he said as he pulled his boat out into the water. "I've already shared a paopu with someone else."

He heard the tiny, quick intake of breath, but he didn't look up at her as he climbed inside the little boat. "Who?" she asked quietly, and her voice broke with tears. He couldn't _stand_ it when she cried. Her being so dramatic all the time really got on his nerves.

He paused before answering. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter now. He won't even come near me anymore." And without looking back, he rowed away.


End file.
